JOHN GRIFFITHS (GRIFFITH) ADAMS b. 28MAY1852 (ca. 1853), d. York Co., NB 15FEB1916 age 63 years, bur. (as John C. Adams) Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB, m. 14FEB1876 SARA ELIZABETH McDIARMID (b. ca. 1857, d. 19SEP1899, bur. Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB.)
John’s brother may be William Adams, b. JAN1851, d. JUN1851 age 5 months, bur. Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB, s/o Jackson (ca. 1824-4AUG1889) and Elizabeth (Eliza) (ca. 1827/8-3JAN1893) Adams. Jackson and Elizabeth had several other children bur. apparently in the same area of the cemetery. The IGI gives John as a s/o Jackson and Elizabeth (Griffiths) Adams. Jackson was b. Londonderry, Ireland, arrived about 1821, was apprenticed to Thomas Aitken, and also became a cabinet maker. Jackson’s brother, also John, lived in Lower St. Mary’s Parish, York Co., NB (across the River Saint John from Fredericton), and d. 1MAY1896 age 67. John never married, so his surviving next-of-kin, Mrs. Alexander McAdam, of George St., Fredericton, was likely a sister. A brother of John G. Adams, and likely a partner, was James Adams b. ca. 1848.
In 1881, John G. and Elizabeth Adams were in Queens Ward, Fredericton, York Co., NB, when John was a cabinet maker, they were Presbyterian, Elizabeth was Scottish and John Irish. It appears that John used his skills to build a funeral business.
In the 1901 census of Queens Ward, Fredericton, York Co., NB, John was a widower. Both were b. NB.
McDiarmid seems the most-favoured spelling. I will not bore you with the other variations, but I have seen roughly 40 so far. I have also left in the material that came up negative, as well, as it my help eliminate misleading information.
Elizabeth’s sister, Alberta (Bertie) McDiarmid, m. at John and Elizabeth’s home, 14JAN1891, Arthur G. Bailey of Bailey Bros., Woodstock, Carleton Co., NB. Alberta’s father was John McDairmid. (Note; they could not even use the same spelling in the same article.)
Mary Matilda McDarmid, 4th d/o John McDarmid of ‘LePreaux’, m. St. George, Charlotte Co., NB by the Rev. Wm. Millen 9JAN1867 John A. McCallum. Another likely daughter may be Susanna J. McDearmid of ’Lepreaux’ who m. at her father’s residence 2JAN1866 Thomas Elliott of Westfield Parish, Kings Co., NB. Clarissa Grace McDermid was the 3rd d/o John McDermid of LePreau, and m. 21NOV1864 John Gibson of Nashwaak, York Co., NB. A son may have been John McDiarmid, s/o J. McDiarmid of St. Stephen, who d. Greenpoint, NY 24DEC1875 age 51 years.
It seems as if John may have been a lighthouse keeper as, according to the St. Andrews, ‘St. Andrews Beacon’, 28JUN1894, Mrs. John McDearmid (John d. 8FEB1879), who died the previous Friday age 80 year, assumed his duties at Midgic Bluff after his death.
It is possible that Sara Elizabeth McDiarmid had been married before, as Sarah E. McDearmid m. 20JUN1866 Thomas A. Toal; both residents of St. Stephen, Charlotte Co., NB.
A Janet McDermot, wife of John McDermot, b. Caithness-shire, Scotland ca. 1797, d. St. Stephen Parish, Charlotte Co., NB 2DEC1861 age 64 years. If this is the same family, it represents an earlier generation. Another death in St. Stephen Parish was that of Sgt. Peter McDiarmaid, b. ca. 1752, d. 30NOV1835 age 83 years, who came to North America in 1778 with the 74th Regiment. A son is said to have been John McDiarmid who m. Janet McKenzie. Yet another was Archibald McDiarmid of Mascareen, St. George Parish, Charlotte Co., NB who was b. Perthshire, Scotland ca. 1759, and d. 5MAR1841 age 82; arriving in NB ca. 1801.
There was also a John McDermaid, described as an old resident of Fredericton (one of the rate-payers in 1870) b. ca. 1811, d. Fredericton 23AUG1889 age 78 (or 79) years. He was once proprietor of Brayley House; presumably a hotel. Mrs. Arthur (Bertie McDiarmid) Bailey seems to have visited her father in Fredericton in AUG1895. It would seem that the John who d. 1889 could not have been her father. It appears that John McDiarmid of Lepreau, Charlotte Co., NB did, in his latter days, end up in Fredericton, as his daughter, Grace Gibson (d. 26FEB1879 age 34) was described as the 3rd d/o John McDiarmid of Fredericton. So he appear to have moved there by 1879. This conclusion is supported by John’s death notice which states he d. Fredericton 10DEC1877 age 89 (88 years and 11 months) years, and was formerly of St. Stephen. However, if John of St. Stephen d. 1877, then Bertie Gibson could not have visited him in 1895.
So far, we have two John McDiarmid’s who might have been Elizabeth’s father. One a long-time resident of Fredericton, and the other of St. Stephen Parish, Charlotte Co., NB. Elizabeth has been given as b. Lepreau, Charlotte Co., NB ca. 1857. That, however, may be an assumption that is misleading. At best, we can say that her father was John, and a sister was Alberta (Bertie.)
Another John McDiarmid to consider is he of Studholm Parish, Kings Co., NB who m. APR1841 Mary Jane McAlmon of ‘St. John’ Parish; presumably in Saint John Co., NB.
Alberta McDermaid, b. ca. 1867, is the d/o John McDermaid b. Scotland ca. 1811, running a boarding house in Carleton Ward, Fredericton, York Co., NB in the 1881 census. This appears to be John McDermaid, described as an old resident of Fredericton (one of the rate-payers in 1870) b. ca. 1811, d. Fredericton 23AUG1889 age 78 (or 79) years. He was once proprietor of Brayley House; presumably a hotel. Even though his daughter is supposed to have visited him in 1895, I assume the date-of-death is correct. His wife is Mary J. (b. NB ca. 1823), and two sons appear to be Duncan (b. ca. 1850) and Archibald (ca. 1863.) Archibald is a carriage maker, and the family is Presbyterian. That John was bur. in the United Church Cem. simply reflects that many Presbyterian churches joined that union.
After wading through the above, I get:
JOHN M. McDIARMID b. Scotland ca. 1810, d. 23AUG1889 age 79 years, bur. United Church of Canada Cem., York Co., NB, m. MARY J. _____ (b. NB ca. 1823, d. 31DEC1897 age 76 years, bur. United Church of Canada Cem., York Co., NB.)
children:
1. DUNCAN McDIARMID b. 6JUN1850 (OCT1849, ca. 1850), working for John and Matilda Kilburn in Fredericton in 1901 and 1911.
2. SARA ELIZABETH McDIARMID b. ca. 1857, d. 19SEP1899, bur. Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB, m. 14FEB1876 JOHN GRIFFITHS (GRIFFITH) ADAMS (b. 28MAY1852 (ca. 1853), d. York Co., NB 15FEB1916 age 63 years, bur. (as John C. Adams) Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB), s/o Jackson and Elizabeth (Griffiths) Adams.
children:
21. GRACE LILLIE ADAMS b. ca. 8JUL1879, d. 14JUN1886 age 6 years, 11 months and 6 days.
22. HARRY ADAMS b. 18APR1881
23. MINNIE ADAMS b. 30MAY1883
24. ALTA MAE ADAMS b. Fredericton, York Co., NB 13JUN1884, d. 1982, bur. Fredericton Rural Cem., Woodstock Rd., Fredericton, York Co., NB
25. JACK ADAMS b. 17AUG1885
26. FRED ADAMS b. 5APR1889
27. MARY ADAMS b. Fredericton, York Co., NB 3SEP1899
3. ARCHIBALD McDIARMID b. ca. 1863.
Probably Archie McDermand (b. 16SEP1867) in Wellington Ward, Fredericton in 1901; with a wife, Ada (Ada. B. b. 30NOV1871, d. 29JAN1939.)
4. ALBERTA (BERTIE) McDIARMID b. 24SEP1866 (ca 1867), m. at John and Elizabeth’s home in Fredericton, York Co., NB , 14JAN1891, ARTHUR G. BAILEY (b. 16SEP1861), of Bailey Bros., Woodstock, Carleton Co., NB
I would expect that searching other census records in York Co., the United Church archives in Sackville, marriage registers and probate books would produce more. I did not find John M. McDiarmid in Fredericton in 1851, but could have missed him, or he may have been elsewhere. He seems to have been married and in NB before the census of that year. There is also nothing yet to say that John M. McDiarmid was not of the Charlotte Co., family. For example, in the 1865 directory, three John McDermid’s are listed in that county, a postmaster, a stevedore and a farmer. John is in Fredericton for the directory of 1871, living on Queen St.
Thomas